Complete guide to DRTV

HOW A DRTV ADVERTISING CAN HELP

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• Direct Response Advertising delivers quick results
• DRTV Ads get viewers to react
• Media buying is more cost-effective than brand advertising
• Adverts and conversions can be tracked
• DRTV ads reaches a huge audience
• TV advertising builds confidence in your brand

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WHAT IS DRTV?

DRTV ads differ from brand response advertising in that the viewer is urged to respond to the offer directly. Calls to action can range from a toll-free number on screen, a special offer or a website URL. The return on investment delivered by direct response TV advertising is one of the highest possible in all advertising mediums. In comparison to social media advertising, where your brand has to fight amongst the digital chatter, the best direct-response advertising set out a message and delivers measurable results.

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DRTV – DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING

DRTV is the name for a specific type of TV advertising that uses a call to action on the screen. The advertiser expects the viewer to respond to the advert by calling a number or visiting a website. DRTV works brilliantly as part of a BVOD advertising campaign, unified messaging that covers TV and online delivery makes a powerful selling tool.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRAND ADVERTISING AND DRTV

Brand advertising has traditionally done a brilliant job of communicating the company’s broader message to consumers. Brand ads are used to establish credibility or promote new product lines to attract buyers to think positively about your business. At the same time, direct response campaigns focus on selling specific items through marketing strategies such as phone calls and web traffic. They encourage people who see the adverts to respond by visiting a website or calling a number.

The second screen phenomenon has given the direct response television commercial a new lease of life. Rather than waiting until the viewer has finished watching TV, a second screen means viewers are actively engaging with brands and offers in real-time.

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DRTV MEANING EXPLAINED

We’re often asked questions about DRTV, here are some of the more popular questions and answers:

What is DRTV? – DRTV is the name for a specific type of TV advert that uses a call to action or web URL to get the viewer to take action.
What does DRTV stand for? – DRTV stands for Direct Response Tele – Vision usually followed by advertising.
What is DRTV advertising? – DRTV is a specific type of advertising that uses a call to action to get a response from the viewer, usually a call or a website visit.

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DRTV PRODUCTION IN LONDON

Toast is an agency based in London. We work with many large brands to produce stunning adverts, but we’re probably best known from our work for new to TV brands like Innocent Smoothies and Abel & Cole.

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MEDIA COSTS AND MEDIA PLACEMENT

When planning your media placements, it’s worth remembering that Direct Response adverts work best out of peak time advertising. The most cost-effective use of your media budget is to buy many slots across channels that are right for your demographic. Lumping all your budget into buying a few advert slots in expensive primetime will end up wasting your opportunity. Toast is an experienced DRTV media buying agency who can get the best media packages to make sure your advert is seen on television.

Digital TV channels are a powerful medium for DRTV; many Freeview channels have very focused offerings which lead to concentrated audience pools. These channels are a great place to build a target audience.

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HIRING A DRTV AGENCY

When appointing a DRTV agency, it’s good to look at the quality of work they’ve produced for other companies. Budgets are always a tricky thing to gauge, but the quality of an advert shows on TV. Viewers will judge your brand against other adverts around you.

Good DRTV companies know that if you have a small budget, the best way to make an impact is by creating adverts with what’s available. A great direct response advertising agency will work closely from the early stages and develop ideas based on your needs at any level – no matter how big or little they are!

Using a full-service Direct Response Agency that can undertake the whole advertising process from script to screen is a substantial saving. The budget will be used wisely rather than having multiple companies competing to keep as much of your budget as they can.

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MEASURING RESULTS OF DIRECT RESPONSE TV ADVERTISING

A DRTV advert uses a website address or phone number as a customer contact method. Analytics software can now correlate website visits with an advert running on TV. This software allows our clients to gauge how well their adverts are performing on various TV channels and at specific time-slots.

With these results available, testing different calls to action, end-frames, time slots and channels is possible. The media budget is then adjusted to deliver the best results.

TV made other media work harder by boosting the performance of the other media channels used in a campaign by up to 54%
TV had by far the highest ‘multiplier effect’ of any media channel
Thinkbox’s ‘Demand Generation’ (2019), conducted with Wavemaker, Gain Theory and Mediacom

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GETTING THE DRTV CREATIVE RIGHT

In recent research by Accelero the creative quality of an advert gives a x12 multiplier of advert profitability. DRTV adverts need to stand out, having a memorable creative idea that viewers recall makes your budget work harder.

Accelero’s research findings can be found here on the Thinkbox website. Other factors affecting profitability include, Budget setting across geographies, Brand performance, Multimedia with Brand size being the only factor with more influence than creativity.

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A CALL TO ACTION

A prospective customer wants to feel at home once they’ve entered your URL, so make sure your website reflects your TV advert in some way. Keep the experience the same; viewers want to feel a cohesive brand message across TV advertising and on your website. Have a still from your TV advert on all of your landing pages so the viewer knows they’ve come to the right site.

DRTV ads are a powerful way to build databases of interested customers; some purchases aren’t an impulsive buy and need a nudge over the line. A response advert that delivers a list of potential customers is an excellent way of feeding leads to a phone sales team.

A bonus of DRTV is the trust-building nature of TV commercials. When you advertise on TV near national brands it adds trust signals to your company. If your company is selling products such as gold coins or cruises, a DRTV commercial can leverage the trust gained from TV advertising to close sales.

A call to action that includes a toll-free number is a great way to gauge which areas of the country your advert works best. It’s best to run adverts when your call centre is operating; an unanswered call is a waste of your precious marketing budget.

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WORK WITH TOAST

If you’re looking for a DRTV Agency with great creative ideas, award-winning writers and directors, do get in touch. We start the advertising process by having our new clients complete a briefing document explaining all about their company and brand. Do get in touch to kick off your DRTV advertising journey.

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